


Adventures in Caretaking

by mypoorfaves



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: (if you can call this experience bonding), Crack Treated Seriously, Gen, Humour, Sick Victor, Sickfic, bonding with the future in-laws, caretaker mari, fevered pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-11
Updated: 2018-02-11
Packaged: 2019-03-16 14:54:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,910
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13638519
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mypoorfaves/pseuds/mypoorfaves
Summary: On a visit to Hasetsu for an upcoming competition, Victor falls ill. Since Yuuri can’t afford to miss practice, Mari is stuck looking after him.





	Adventures in Caretaking

**Author's Note:**

> Was talking to some friends about how great a sickfic with a caretaking Mari would be. And then at some point the idea of fevered pining came up, and I couldn't resist putting the two together. So that, and the prompt "reluctant caretaker" is how this fic came about.

Mari stands in the hall of the inn, an unamused expression on her face.

“You want me to _what?”_

“It’s only for little while! Please!” Yuuri begs fervently to Mari. “I don’t want Victor to be alone while he’s sick.”

“Well then, why don’t you watch him?” Mari suggests, crossing her arms.

“Victor doesn’t want me to fall behind on my skating,” Yuuri explains. “He even said, the only thing that would sadden him more than me not being with him is me missing out on precious practice time. What with the competition coming up so soon…”

Said competition is the reason he and Victor are here in Japan, having departed early from St. Petersburg to pay their family a long overdue visit. Things had gone well, the first couple of days. There had been lots of conversations over home-cooked meals, nights of _far_ too much drinking (Mari quickly pushes those images out of her mind) and many pleasant memories.

But yesterday morning Victor had not seemed his usual self, and by evening he’d come down with some form of the flu. Yuuri has of course been more than willing to care for him, bringing him food that would be easy on his sensitive stomach, brewing him tea, taking his temperature, mopping his brow with a cold cloth… All things that Mari hopes she won’t have to do for the figure skating legend. It’s not that she doesn’t like Victor, she would just prefer to leave those more intimate gestures to Yuuri.

“He’ll probably just sleep the whole time. All I need you to do is watch him,” Yuuri goes on. He’s fidgeting, wringing his hands as he gauges Mari’s reaction. “Just for a couple of hours.”

She has no real reason to say no, other than her simply not wanting to. It’s not like she had plans to do anything else today. And what with their parents so busy running the inn, nobody else is even available to care for Victor. She has no choice at this point.

Mari sighs, her resolve crumbling. “Fine. I’ll watch him.”

Yuuri’s eyes light up. “Really? You will?”

“Yes, I’ll watch your boyfriend for you. Now hurry off to the rink before I change my mind.”

“Thank you, Mari-neechan!” Yuuri beams, and before Mari can stop him, he throws himself into her arms and gives her a quick and sudden hug. He pulls back the next moment, grabs his skating bag, then he’s out the door, leaving a bewildered Mari Katsuki wondering what on earth she just agreed to.

～

The room is quiet when she enters, Victor’s body still and motionless on the bed save for the rise and fall of his chest, rhythmic and deep with sleep. Mari assesses the room, letting her eyes wander. It’s not everyday she’s allowed in here. The room belongs to Yuuri, though both skaters are sharing it now as Victor’s previous room has been taken down and used for its original purpose. The posters no longer adorn the walls, and Mari briefly wonders if Yuuri has dared to tell Victor about them. If she looks closely enough, she swears she can make out the differences in colouration where the posters were, having been there for so long even when Yuuri was not.

It seems like Yuuri is hardly ever home, and Mari has to admit she’s glad to have her brother back with her, even if only for a couple of weeks before he and Victor head back to St. Petersburg. And it’s not just Yuuri. As much as she hates to admit it, Mari has felt the effect of Victor’s absence as well. He really brought an upbeat kind of energy to the inn, and also to the small town of Hasetsu.

Now, however, Victor is far from upbeat as he remains asleep on the bed, albeit fitfully so. There’s an evident grimace on his flushed face, sweat on his forehead which sticks to the mess of silver hair. Despite the heat of his fever, he shivers beneath the blanket, clutching it tightly between his fingers as he pulls it up higher. His lips move as he quietly murmurs incomprehensibly, a sigh escaping him that sounds more liken to a quiet moan.

Yuuri is only going to be away for a couple of hours, and if Victor is going to be asleep the whole time then watching over him should be a breeze. And even if he does wake up, it’s not like Victor is a child. He’s a grown man, twenty-eight years old, and a world-class athlete. It’s not like he’s incapable of getting up or even asking for what he wants. Despite her reluctance, Mari isn’t too worried that watching over Victor will be a chore.

～

The bedsheets rustle as Victor gives a weak groan, and a mumbled, “Yuuri…?” escapes his chapped lips. Mari assumes he’s asleep, until he groans again, more insistent this time, then his eyes crack open.

“Yuuri is at practice,” Mari tells him.

Victor looks over, his usually striking blue eyes tired and dull. ‘Oh… right,” he recalls, and for a second Mari is worried the news will sadden him, but then a weak smile graces his lips. “That’s good,” he says. Then, “I miss him.”

Mari snorts. “He’s hardly been gone an hour.”

“Yes, but that means there’s still so many more hours until Yuuri gets back!”

Whatever Mari was going to say in response is forgotten as Victor curls in on himself, going into a brutal coughing fit. He coughs and coughs, bringing the blanket up to cover his mouth, and just when Mari is about to contemplate offering some form of help he at last catches his breath.

“That sounded like it hurt.”

Victor nods miserably, gesturing for the water on the nightstand. It’s hardly an arm’s width away, but he makes no move to sit up and grab it himself.

“Have you taken medicine?” Mari finds herself asking as she hands the water over. Victor sits up, takes the glass, and drinks greedily.

“Last night,” Victor answers once he’s finished. He winces and rubs at his sore throat. “I’ll take some later. Just wanna sleep.” He’s still shivering as he turns over, getting more comfortable. “Can I have another blanket? I’m cold…”

There’s not another blanket in the room, so Mari decides to grab one from the closet in the hallway. She’s not even halfway to the door when Victor urgently calls out, “Wait!” before he’s overtaken by more coughing.

“I…don’t want to be alone,” Victor admits shyly once he gets his breath back.

“I was going to get you another blanket,” Mari says. “You said you were cold. There’s some in the hall closet.”

“Don’t go…” Victor pleads, and Mari is not entirely sure but she thinks she heard a quiet “please” whispered into the blanket.

As per Victor’s wishes, Mari returns to her seat. Victor is still trembling with chills, his eyes are closed, hands gripping tightly at the blanket to swaddle it around himself and preserve what warmth he can. Despite his discomfort, he’s evidently close to falling asleep as he murmurs, “Wake me when Yuuri’s back?”

A strange sense of pity washes over Mari at the sight of the champion skater, brought down by illness. “Yeah,” she says. “I will.” And with that, Victor is asleep again.

When Mari first met Victor, her first impression of him was “a good-looking airhead of a foreigner who’s not-so-secretly in love with her brother.” He’s the living legend to the world of figure skating, but to her, Victor has always given off a more human vibe. Victor definitely looks human to Mari now, sick in bed, so vulnerable in a way that the cameras never show.

For more reasons than one, Mari hopes he recovers quickly.

～

With a tray in hand, Mari opens the bedroom door and is unsurprised to find Victor still asleep. It seems Yuuri hadn’t been lying when he said Victor would sleep the whole time. Though as much as Mari would like to let him, he needs to eat something.

“Victor,” Mari says, approaching the bed. Victor doesn’t rouse. She taps her foot impatiently. “Victor,” she tries again, more forceful this time. When she still gets no response, Mari sets the tray down on the nightstand. Not knowing what else to do, she shakes Victor’s shoulders and says, “Wake up. You need to eat.”

With a tired groan, Victor at last opens his eyes, blinking blearily at Mari. “Huh?” He looks like a mess. His bangs are falling into his eyes, glossy from his fever and weighed down by heavy bags. His face is pale, save for the redness on his cheeks. It might be her imagination, but it seems more pronounced than before.

“Food. Eat,” Mari repeats, turning her attention back to the tray. “You’ll have to sit up.”

“Is Yuuri here?” Victor asks, pushing himself to his elbows. He sways a bit and squeezes his eyes shut to ride out the dizziness.

“Not for another couple of hours.” She watches Victor closely, then hands him the tray when she’s sure he isn’t going to pass out.

“Thank you, Mari. I really appreciate it.” Victor says as he accepts the dish. For a moment he simply stares at it, fiddling with the spoon, making no move to take a bite. At first, Mari thinks Victor doesn’t want to eat at all, lacking an appetite because of the virus. Or perhaps he simply has no interest in eating food that isn’t up to the standards of a living legend such as himself. But then Victor looks up at Mari with hopeful eyes. “Will youー”

“I will _absolutely not_ feed you,” Mari says before Victor even has a chance to finish that sentence. His fever must be spiking to even consider asking.

His shoulders slump. “Oh…but Yuuri feeds me when I’m sick…I miss Yuuri…”

“Yeah, yeah, I know,” Mari says, and she can’t help but feel a bit sympathetic as Victor stares blankly into his bowl of soup, a downtrodden expression on his face. “He’ll be back soon.”

With a sad nod, Victor begins to pick at his meal. He takes small and slow bites, wincing as he swallows. “Is there tea?” he asks, then roughly clears his throat.

Mari looks at the cup of steaming liquid on the corner of the tray, and Victor follows her gaze. “Ah, good.” He takes a sip, makes a face at the taste and puts the cup down. Then after a moment, he picks it back up again and takes another, bigger swallow.

He finishes most of the tea (despite his obvious distaste for it) and hardly manages half of his meal, though Mari is willing to overlook the latter since he might be feeling nauseous. Mari takes the tray away, then Victor eases himself back down onto the bed, turns over and falls asleep.

To be honest, Victor hasn’t been too difficult to take care of. His fever makes him less likely to think about his words and actions, which can be annoying, but it could be much worse. He’s mostly just slept, as Yuuri said he would, and complained about missing his fiance. It’s all been much easier than Mari was originally anticipating.

Despite the fact, she can’t help but get the feeling that this is the calm before the storm.

～

Victor awakens with a pained whine and a slurred word that Mari can only guess is Russian. His hand reaches out for the other side of the bed, eyes opening when he finds nothing.

“Oh… ‘s not here…”

Mari watches as Victor’s eyes water and he sniffles, but much to her relief he pulls himself together and doesn’t cry. He curls in on himself for another bout of coughs, then the blanket covering his body is aggressively peeled off as Victor spreads his limbs out. He rubs a hand over his face and squeezes his eyes shut with a groan.

“Feeling hot?” Mari asks.

Victor nods, his eyes remaining closed. “‘n tummy hurts…”

 _“Tummy?”_ Just how old is Victor again?

“Owww it really hurts,” he moans, arms wrapping around his middle.

“You’re not going to be sick, are you?” Mari asks warily. She does _not_ want to have to deal with that.

“No, don’t think so,” he says after a moment to consider. “I’ll let you know if I am.” Mari internally breathes a sigh of relief.

“Can you kiss it better?” Victor asks, and despite the slight slur to his words he sounds completely serious. When Mari gives no response, not really knowing how to politely yet _very firmly_ decline such an request, he adds in a small voice, “Yuuri always kisses me when I’m hurting…”

“Do I _look_ like Yuuri?” she almost snaps. She supposes she technically does look like Yuuri because they’re siblings, but chooses to ignore that fact and hopes that Victor will too.

“Yuuri is prettier,” Victor says, and Mari is almost offended, but he isn’t done. “His eyes are so sparklyーlike brown orbs that sparkle!” Victor puts eloquently. “I could stare into them for hours…” he says, his voice taking on a dream-like quality.

For all of the things Mari hoped she wouldn’t have to deal with, she forgot to add _“Victor feverishly pining over his fiance who’s away at practice for only a few hours”_ to the list. Despite her annoyance, Mari lets him talk. Maybe she can use some of this against Yuuri somehow to embarrass him? She fights a grin as she imagines how hard Yuuri would be blushing if he were here right now, listening to all of this. Yes, she’s confident she can get something good out of Victor.

“His voice sounds like music. I would skate to it if I could.” Victor says, then he gasps. “That’s a good idea! I should do that next season. Or maybe even this season. It’s not too late. I could do it. Probably…”

Halfway through the skating season is just a _little_ late to change your entire routine, Mari thinks to herself. Though she wouldn’t put it past Victor to try, even if he was coherent and not delirious from high fever.

“And his hair! It’s the best!” Victor goes on. “It’s so soft… All of Yuuri’s skin is so soft. And yet his muscles are so firm! Like his butt. It’s so perfect for squeezing,” he gushes to Mari. “Yuuri has the best butt! It’s even better than mine! I keep trying to tell Yuuri but he won’t listen to me!”

Mari raises an eyebrow as that. _“Oookay,_ I think it’s time for another nap,” she says, effectively putting an end to Victor’s unfiltered rambling. She’s heard enough for one day. For a lifetime, she thinks.

“Wait, I’m not done!” Victor tries to protest. “I haven’t finished telling you about how lovely Yuuri is! All of him is perfect. Every inch,” he declares, serious and sincere. “Like his hands. They’re so warm. Love it when they’re holding me,” he sighs dreamily. “And his fingers are _magical._ They feel so good whenー”

“I’m gonna stop you right there.”

“When they run through my hair,” Victor finishes.

“Well,” Mari says, unspeakably relieved the ending to that sentence was different than what she had been anticipating, “if you sleep, then by the time you wake up Yuuri should be home. Then he can take care of you and do that.”

Victor’s eyes, glassy from the intensity of his fever, light up at the realization, then they close, determined. “Okay.”

The room becomes blessedly silently, until Victor speaks up.

“Mari?”

“Yes?”

“You have to tell Yuuri.”

He’s teetering on the edge of consciousness now, his words breathy and tiredly slurred and yet said with such desperation. Mari almost laughs at how dramatic Victor is, sounding like a man on his deathbed despite only having a bad bout of the flu. Even so, she obliges him.

“Tell him what?”

“That his butt is better than mine.”

And with that, Victor is asleep again.

～

After what feels like an eternity, Mari hears the words she has been desperately waiting for:

“Mari!” her mother calls. “Yuuri’s home!”

Mari heaves a sigh of relief, standing up and stretching her sore muscles. _Finally,_ her shift is over. She exits the room, leaving a still-sleeping Victor on the bed, and heads to greet her brother.

She finds him taking off his shoes, turning them the right way as he places them neatly on the floor of the genkan.

“Mari-neechan!” Yuuri says when he sees her. “How is Victor doing? He wasn’t too much of a handful, was he?”

Mari looks her brother dead in the eyes and says in a flat tone, “Caring for your bf was about as hard as he proclaims your ass is.”

Yuuri makes an undignified _”eep!”_ noise as he blushes so hard it reaches the tips of his ears. Without another word, he all but runs past her and heads for the bedroom.

Mari can distanly hear Victor from the bedroom: “Yuuri! You’re back! Come here, I missed you!” She has no doubts he’s making grabby hands at Yuuri, maybe even trying to bring him in for a kiss (despite his wishes to not get Yuuri sick). She’s just glad that Yuuri is in there doing the caretaking and not her.

Living legend? More like living hell. Time for a well-deserved cigarette break.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and kudos are more than welcome!


End file.
